


loss leads to love

by black_cat_17, reallyraduniverse



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, I'm Sorry, M/M, Tragedy, Victuuri's ship sank, mentions of sickness, otabek is Sad, otayuri endgame, phichit/chris is a thing now sorry i don't make the rules, viktor with a k!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2018-12-10 12:10:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11691336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/black_cat_17/pseuds/black_cat_17, https://archiveofourown.org/users/reallyraduniverse/pseuds/reallyraduniverse
Summary: When Viktor and Yuuri die in a car accident, Otabek and Yuri learn that they've been named guardians of Viktuuri's baby son, Koichi.To successfully raise him and not get distracted by their feelings for each other, Otabek and Yuri really, really need to talk about some stuff but the question is… are they really gonna do that?





	1. the end of all things

**Author's Note:**

> So this is based on something a friend and I pieced together.  
> Koichi, though, is not ours. His character design, name and anything else belongs to Ureshisanuniverse. Hope you're prepared for angst.

Everything good has to end at some point. Looking back now, Yuri found that very true. He'd never expected to be attending a funeral of two people who'd come to be family, much less attending that funeral with their infant son and the man that he wished would just own up to his feelings already. But, life was unexpected and ruinous. Viktor and Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov had lived and loved together for seven years until the flames of their life were abruptly put out. _It wasn't fair_ , Yuri thought. _They had a baby. They weren't supposed to die. Not yet_. And they certainly weren't supposed to name Otabek Altin and Yuri Plisetsky as legal guardians of that baby. Neither of them thought they could raise him properly.

Yuri sighed, not as loudly as he'd have liked. Funerals sucked badly. He remembered his grandfather's own funeral from five years ago. At seventeen, he'd been a crying, shaking mess as his grandfather- his only family, really- was laid to rest. Otabek had been there by his side, but he'd refused to talk to him then. They'd parted ways on shaky terms, only to meet up a year later and spend a passionate night together and go back to their scarce conversations and very few Skype calls. It had been literal hell.

Yet here they were now, together again at last in the wake of a tragedy. Yuri thought it sucked. Otabek would only be around him so much because they had to raise this baby as if he were their own, because that's what the idiot old man and piggy had wanted. He sighed again, leaning against Otabek. He peered at Koichi, who was peacefully asleep in Otabek's arms, having absolutely no idea that his dear parents were being buried now. Yuri wanted nothing more than to go home. But he wasn't going back to his apartment. Oh, no. In order to keep things normal for the baby, both Otabek and Yuri would be moving into the Katsuki-Nikiforov house. Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. But he'd do it for Koichi. He'd met the baby once before the accident when he was only a few days old. He'd been so small then, and he was still so tiny compared to the two of them. Yuri vowed to protect him at any cost, if only for his dead friends.

The funeral ended as quickly as it started. Yuri felt bad, knowing that he'd missed most of it due to being lost in thought. He'd still been thinking when Otabek tapped him on the shoulder and told him it was time to leave. Time to go home. Yuri merely nodded sullenly. Home wasn't home, but they would make it home for Koichi.

* * *

The moment they arrived at the house, Koichi took to crying. Yuri sighed, looking over at Otabek, who was desperately trying to get the child to stop crying. He felt like crying himself, but he had to be strong in front of them. He wouldn't allow himself to be weak.

"Beka," he said after a few minutes of hearing nothing but crying. "He's not calming down. What are we supposed to do? Maybe he's hungry-"

Otabek nodded, immediately searching for the jars of baby food that seemed to never be in the same place.

"Here, let's try." Yuri tired to ignore the fact that this was the first thing Otabek had said all day.

The baby calmed down once he'd been fed. They were both relieved as hell, seeing as they'd heard quite a bit of crying already.

"Beka…" Yuri murmured, turning to face Otabek. "Can we really do this? Do you think we can?"

Otabek sighed then, sounding exasperated and tired. "We can. We have no other choice because this is what Viktor and Yuuri wanted. We'll do it for them."

They sat in silence, both wondering why they'd been chosen when Viktor and Yuuri had friends with experience like Yuuko, and friends who were married and stable like Chris. They both sighed, and Yuri felt himself starting to tear up He quickly brushed away the tears, shaking his head before their awkward silence resumed.

"I think Koichi's tired." Yuri mumbled, at last, trying to hide his own yawns.

"Perhaps." Otabek agreed. "But so are you. Go take a nap, Yuri. You look half dead."

"Fine." He muttered. "But you'd better get the baby to take a nap too." He got up, shuffling to the bedroom. God, he felt so weird, sliding under the covers. The pillows smelled like Viktor's expensive cologne and Yuuri's normal scent. It was suddenly overwhelming, how much he missed them. They'd almost been like parents, and now they were gone. Yuri couldn't sleep just then. No, he was crying, choking on salty tears. He cried, mourning his lack of sleep, mourning them, and crying because Otabek was so distant now. He figured that the Viktor-and-Yuuri scent would be gone within weeks.


	2. oh, memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now hopefully that first chapter wasn't too painful.  
> There are a few flashbacks!! Mostly Yuri thinking about warm fuzzy memories he has of Vitya n Yuuri. Enjoy!

When he awoke, Yuri's cheeks felt crusty and dry from his tears. He rubbed the dried tears away, and got up. He decided on changing his shirt quickly, after choosing a random shirt from the pile of clothes that had yet to be put away. It was too big on him, so he'd probably put on one of Otabek's shirts. He shrugged, padding quietly to Koichi's room. 

The room was a bright blue, no doubt Viktor's choice of color. On second thought, it could've been Katsudon's choice, as the blue closely matched Viktor's eyes. Yeah, it must've been Katsudon's. Sighing, he went to check on Koichi. But seeing that the baby wasn't in his crib, he assumed that Otabek had already done so. He looked around the room, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Katsudon and Viktor had so obviously decorated. He felt a little sad, remembering some of the times when he'd gotten sick as a teenager and how they would take care of him. Or, well, Yuuri would take care of him while Viktor spouted obviously bogus cures for any ailment Yuri had. 

_"Try leek soup!" Viktor grinned, leaning over the couch and watching Yuuri calmly run his fingers through Yuri's blond hair in attempt to distract him from his agony._

_"Leek soup is for colds, Vitya, not the flu." Yuuri had replied, shaking his head but smiling up at his husband- no, they hadn't been married at that time. They were still engaged, though they acted like a disgusting married couple. Yuri just groaned, rolling over and snuggling into Yuuri's side like a child might do to a parent. Being sick sucked._

_"Maybe he wants leek soup!" Viktor said at last, earning another groan from Yuri and a fierce shake of the head from Yuuri._

_"He doesn't like leeks, Vitya. He told me that last time when you suggested it. He hissed at me when I tried giving him that kind of soup." Yuuri sighed. "Besides, I don't think he wants to eat anything right now." The Japanese skater resumed running his hands through Yuri's silky hair, successfully getting him to relax._

Yuri sighed, thinking of that time. Then he wondered briefly if Otabek would hold him when he got sick. He hoped so, because a sick Yuri was a needy, clingy, whiny Yuri. He also hoped that someday they could finally talk about that night. They really should, because their awkwardness might come in between taking care of Koichi, and Yuri figure that Katsudon and Viktor wouldn't want that. He stumbled back into the spacious living  room, sprawling out on the couch. He closed his eyes, letting out another sigh. 

"Ah, you're awake. Welcome back to the living," said Otabek, startling Yuri. He took a flying leap off the couch. 

"God, Beka! Don't do that-" He wheezed, slapping his hand over his heart. "Oh my god," he muttered, shaking himself out of the remaining sleepy daze. 

"Sorry, Yuri." He said, chuckling. "Didn't mean to scare you." 

Yuri just mumbled incoherently, breathing hard. He knew it was just Otabek, but his heart was pounding so fast he thought it might burst from his chest.  _Calm down_ , he told himself.  _It's just Beka. He didn't mean to scare me._ He calmed himself quickly, not wanting to show any weakness to Otabek. _But it's Otabek, your best friend._ He shook his head. 

"How's Koichi?" He asked, finally breaking the silence. 

"He's fine, if not a bit cranky." Otabek replied. "He probably wants you to hold him. I think he knew that you were asleep, so he threw a fit." Yuri smiled. 

"I guess I should go appease him." He got up, padding to the kitchen. Koichi was sitting in his high chair, just having been fed. And boy, did he look unhappy. Yuri sighed softly, scooping the baby up into his arms. 

"No need to be so grumpy." He murmured, bouncing the baby slightly. "You're gonna end up like me. Mean, salty, and still single at twenty-two."

He felt slightly proud when the baby smiled and laughed, smacking his chubby baby hand against Yuri's pale face. 

"Yeah, that's right. Abuse your new mom." He rolled his eyes, earning more laughter. 

"Did you just call yourself mom?" Otabek raised an eyebrow. 

"God, Beka! When did you get there??" Yuri wheezed, holding the baby tight so that he wouldn't drop him. 

"I've been here the whole time." Otabek rolled his eyes. "And you called yourself mom."

"Yeah, well-" He blushed slightly. "My cats used to meow at me in a certain way when they were hungry and it sounded like they were saying mom. It's dumb, but whatever. Besides, I'm prettier than you, so I'm mom." He shrugged. 

"Alright, alright." He held up his hands in surrender. "Alright then,  _mom_."

Yuri rolled his eyes. 

"Just for that, you're the one waking up at two in the morning to calm him down." He told him, indicating the baby. "After all, you're dad, so it's only fair that you sacrifice your perfect sleeping schedule."

"I don't think our sleeping schedules are perfect anymore, Yuri. We've been taking care of this baby for three days and I can already count how many hours of sleep I've gotten on one hand."

"Poor baby." Yuri simpered, pouting. "Just think of how poor Koichi feels, waking up crying and having to see you instead of me." 

"Are you suggesting that he's playing favorites?"

"Yes. And it's me, dear Otabek. I'm his favorite."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuri sighs a lot. I relate.  
> Yeah Otabek doesn't really have a lot of memories of Viktuuri,,  
> He'll just,,,, provide emotional support for Yuri (and Koichi.)


	3. slowly but surely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so here we go with chapter 3!  
> Just a note, I've started school again, so my chapters may slow down. However, I'm trying to write them in advance so that I can post them when I need to! I can tell you now that updates will take longer, and this, since it is a bit rushed, may be a tad shorter than usual.

Slowly but surely, Otabek and Yuri fell into a routine. It was usually Otabek who would get up late at night to calm Koichi, and in turn, Yuri would wake up early to tend to the baby. Just weeks into this parenting thing and Yuri already wanted out. 

He wasn't fit to be a parent. Though he was no longer an angry fifteen-year-old, Yuri found that he still had trouble displaying and dealing with his emotions. He held things in when he should be talking them out, which he'd been told, many times, wasn't good. He'd also been told that he needed an outlet. The only problem was that he didn't know who or what that outlet could be, now that Viktor and Yuuri were gone. He couldn't talk to Otabek, either. His friend had taken time off after the funeral, but he couldn't not go to work forever. And so the inevitable came, with only Yuri and Koichi in the house. The blond wouldn't say that he was afraid of the baby, he was just afraid of doing something wrong or hurting him. It scared him, knowing that he might accidentally hurt Koichi. Not only that, but Viktor and Yuuri's demon of a child never really calmed down when Yuri tried to get him to do so. His crying would slow down and get quieter, only to start up again in the next half hour. Yuri felt bitter about that, seeing as Otabek had no trouble getting the kid to stop crying. 

He sighed, closing his eyes. Now that Koichi was sleeping peacefully, maybe he could take a nap as well. He decided he'd try to sleep, and see how long he would be able to. Collapsing down on the bed, he inhaled the now faint Viktor-and-Yuuri scent to calm himself. Damn, it hadn't even been long since he'd started sleeping in their bed, and it had already stopped smelling like them. Now, it just smelled like Yuri, and he already smelled like himself. He groaned softly, rolling his eyes. He couldn't sleep. He just couldn't, not really, not now. Besides, knowing his luck, if he slept now, the baby would start crying in the next five minutes. He closed his eyes again, exhaling quietly. There, all was peaceful, Yuri was calm, and he was going to sleep. 

His plans were interrupted about half an hour through. He'd fallen asleep. He was dreaming about cats when Koichi's high pitched wails pierced his blissful nap. He got up, his heart pounding from the sudden wake-up call, running a hand through his messy blond hair. He padded quietly to Koichi's mess of an ocean blue bedroom. He rolled his eyes. Viktor hadn't done his best decorating it, but he wasn't going to dwell on it. He picked the baby up, holding him close in an attempt to calm him. He sighed softly, patting the baby's back gently. 

"Yeah," he mumbled. "I know you like Otabek more, but he isn't here right now." That didn't help at all. Koichi continued to cry.

It took him almost half an hour to get the baby to calm down, and by then he only really stopped because he'd made himself tired. Yuri felt awful, too, because he couldn't even do a simple task like calm a child. He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Was Otabek magic or something? He must be. Deciding that Otabek was indeed magical, Yuri took Koichi into the kitchen to feed him. He glanced at the clock and gasped. It was almost 6! Which meant that Beka would be home soon, and Koichi would be much calmer. He sighed in relief, grabbing a jar of baby food from the pantry and a spoon. The baby made his weird happy gurgling sounds, reaching for Yuri. He grinned, setting the food down on the tray of the high chair.

"Hope you're hungry, baby." He cooed, opening the jar. Taking a spoonful, he held the spoon in front of the baby's mouth. Koichi ate the bite, gurgling happily. They repeated the process until the jar was gone.

"Good job, Koichi." He said softly, smiling. What a day. Yuri was exhausted, and it seemed that Koichi was too, but it wasn't bedtime yet. The two of them waited for Otabek, but Yuri's guess was that the Kazakh man was working late. They waited for an hour more, and the baby fell asleep. Yuri took him back to his blue room, tucking him in and turning out the light. He sighed, and went back to the living room. He closed his eyes.

"Hey, sleepyhead." 

Yuri jumped, nearly screeching.

"Beka!" He lowered his voice. "You scared me.."

"Sorry, Yuri." Otabek chuckled. "Hey, I was thinking. Well, my mom is visiting my sister- she's going to college here- and I thought that maybe she could come watch Koichi so we could go out and relax. We could see a movie or something."

"Yeah.. that would be nice." Yuri nodded, and thus they had plans. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm already letting y'all down, I'm so sorry. It's a day before I go back to school and I'm already struggling to get this done. I'll try to write what I can but I can't promise anything right now.  
> I'm trying my best to write a lot, but sometimes I can't write a huge amount for a chapter. I'm really trying, though!


	4. the date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm struggling to write this. Sort of. It may not be that long but I'm trying. It's a filler chapter, honestly. I'm just trying to get on with it.  
> Also!! I have a co-author now! She'll help me out with this, as I can't seem to do it on my own anymore.
> 
> Howdy! ~ blackcat

The next day was Saturday, thank god. But Yuri wasn't feeling relaxed. He kept thinking about the date. Was it a date or a date date? He couldn't figure it out. Was Otabek taking him out on a date, or was it just some good old fashioned hanging out? He knew that he shouldn't be worrying about it because he had more important things to do and all he was doing was laying in bed thinking about dates. He relaxed again, as it was only 7:30. His eyes closed and he let out a soft sigh. Perhaps he could fall asleep again. He began to drift off, slowly, thinking of Potya and Otabek and soft, happy things… until Koichi's cries pierced his blissful silence. Groaning, he got up and made his way to the baby's room.

"Hush, child," he grumbled, lifting the baby up and holding him close in hopes of calming him down. He just stood there for a while, holding Koichi. They both relaxed, the cries ceasing and Yuri's soft sighs getting quieter with each one. He patted the baby on the back gently. Where was Otabek? He should be up by now, but Yuri hadn't seen him yet. Maybe he was just sleeping in since he only had the weekends off. Still, Yuri wished he was up. Koichi always calmed down whenever Otabek started talking to him. He sighed again and took Koichi to the kitchen, so he could feed the baby. He placed him in the high chair and went to get the baby food, narrowly avoiding bumping into Otabek.

"Well, good morning." Yuri noticed that Otabek was clearly disheveled, completely with messy hair and dark circles under his eyes. All he got was a nod. He frowned, but went along with what he needed to do. He fed the baby, made some coffee because lord knows they both need it. Maybe they could pull that look off. Yuri was fully ready to embrace the "Tired Parent" aesthetic at this point. He and Otabek had been Koichi's guardians for almost a month now, and they'd gotten significantly less sleep each night. He had to hand it to Otabek, though. He'd insisted that Yuri take the bed, saying he'd sleep on the couch. Sure, it was a nice couch, but not the most comfortable. Yuri knew that Otabek was probably sore every time he woke up, but if the Kazakh man didn't say anything, neither would he.

"Morning." Ah, so Otabek could speak after all. His voice was scratchy and tired, but Yuri thought Beka sounded hot. He smiled to himself, like he was hiding a secret. Date date, he decided. It's a date date.

* * *

 By the time Otabek's mother came over to watch Koichi, Yuri was second guessing himself. He'd been so sure that it was going to be a date date, but it seemed like Otabek just thought it was a date, like they were just going to hang out and not have feelings for each other. Oh my god, he thinks. I'm so dumb for thinking like that. But maybe, maybe he was right and tiny part of him hoped he was. 

Otabek, on the other hand, was completely convinced that they were just two dudes being bros, hanging out and having fun. He'd asked Yuri to go out with him because he knew that they were both stressed out given their current situation. Yuri was perpetually tired, Otabek was always gone, and Koichi wouldn't calm down long enough. They both needed a night out, so he figured that Yuri wouldn't take it the wrong way. Sure, they had their history, but this was harmless. So he thought that it was like any other time they'd been together and hanging out. 

 Yuri assumed he'd been right about the date when Otabek took him to some fancy restaurant. It was a nice place, as most fancy restaurants are. Yuri liked the fancy lamps. They were pretty and they made the place look very classy, but that made him wonder why Otabek would take him of all people to a classy place like this. Glancing up, he noticed that the Kazakh man looked a bit nervous. _Good_ , he thought.  _Now he knows how I felt last night._ He sighed quietly, waiting patiently for Otabek to maybe make conversation. He didn't. The two of them sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity until Yuri finally cleared his throat and began talking. 

"So, how's work going?" He asked lightly, carefully avoiding Otabek's gaze. 

"Fine," the other man replied, letting out a small sigh.

"Beka," Yuri murmured, "I think we need to talk." The look he got for those words was almost terrifying. Not because Otabek was scowling at him or anything, but because the other looked so vulnerable and  _scared_. Was he afraid that Yuri was going to leave forever? 

"What do we need to talk about?" He asked after some time, slipping back into Calm and Collected Otabek. 

"You and I both know what we need to talk about." He sighed, running a hand through his soft blond hair. "Come on, Otabek! Did the night in Montreal mean anything to you or not?"

"I'd rather not discuss this now, Yuri." Otabek said firmly, keeping his eyes on the lamp behind the blond. Yuri but his lip, cursing himself for being so sensitive as his eyes well up with tears.

"We have to talk about it, Beka. This… tension between us is ruining  _everything_." He sighed, making a clumsy swipe at the tears. "We can't even both care for Koichi because of this!" He looked up, allowing the rest the of the years to fall where they please. 

"Yura…" Otabek sighed and looked away. "Yes, it meant something to me even if we were drunk. But it's in the past. We shouldn't focus on our relationship, not when our priority is Koichi. We made a promise to the them and it would be very uncool to break it." Yuri nodded, sniffling. 

"Yeah." He said, wiping away some tears with the palm of his hand. "You're right. I still- I just- god, Beka! You make me feel things! I'm in love with you and it took you this long to finally stop being so blind and now-"

"Yuri. Let's talk about this later." Otabek said gently. "For now, let's just… be calm."

So for the remainder of the date, they were calm. They ordered their food, drank wine and talked politics like real adults would. Scratch that, Yuri drank wine and Otabek talked politics. No matter how many times the blond offered him the glass of wine, he refused. 

"Come on, Beka." He whined, holding the glass out again. "Just a  _sip_?"

"No." Otabek repeated stubbornly. "I have to drive us home and I don't want to get into an accident."

"Fine." He pouted. "Be that way."

Yuri wasn't tipsy, he was just disappointed that Otabek wouldn't treat himself. He knew that his friend deserved it, as he definitely worked hard enough to let himself go at times. But he sat back and let it be. He even let Otabek pay when normally he would protest. Once they'd finished, they left the restaurant, quietly shivering in the cold of night as they made their way back to the car. 

"What kind of date was that?" Yuri mumbled from the passenger seat, leaning his head against the window. 

"A date," Otabek told him. He was definitely thinking it was a date date, as in romantic. On the other hand, Yuri was convinced that it was just a hanging out kind of date after what Otabek had said. Still, he was going to try his secret weapon. The drive back was boring and long, now that he thought about it. When they finally arrived home, Yuri was half asleep. Otabek thanked his mother for babysitting, and they both waited for her to leave. 

"So…" Otabek started. "How was that?"

"Good." Yuri nodded, shuffling just a bit closer to Otabek. "It was nice. Thank you, Beka. We both really needed that after these last few weeks." He smiled sleepily up at Otabek, and then he leaned up and kissed him. It was a brief kiss, just a peck on the lips. But it was still a kiss and Yuri felt accomplished. 

"Hm, well," he shrugged, deciding to kiss Otabek on the cheek as well, "goodnight, Beka."

And with that, he went to check on Koichi and then went to bed, leaving a bewildered and mildly flustered Otabek behind in the leaving room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this was half filler and half not. Obviously Beka n Yura are gonna have to have a little chat about feelings here pretty soon. And like right in the middle of Otabek's "two dudes being bros" thing I was like "okaaaay, wrap it up here let's get to the date part"


	5. dogs, cats, and feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri and Otabek talk about feelings, and another animal joins the family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to this road trip of feels!! We've just hit one thousand views, so thank you for that, and hopefully you enjoy this chapter.

The next day, Yuri woke not to the sound of Koichi crying, but to a strange panting sound and heavy think of something jumping up onto the bed and settling down next to him. Groaning, he opened one eye to peer at that something. When he saw what it was, he gasped and lept out of the bed. He raced down the hall, skidding to a halt when he reached the kitchen. Otabek was sitting with Koichi, calmly reading the daily paper while the baby babbled his usual nonsensical things. Behind Yuri, Makkachin, old as he was, came bounding out of the room. 

"Otabek," Yuri said calmly, trying to steel his fright, "why the  _hell_ was that dog on the bed and where did he even come from?!" He demanded to know, his eyes blazing. He was angry, of course, from having been pulled from such a blissful sleep. Makkachin wagged his tail. Yuri couldn't believe that the mangy mutt had outlived Viktor. 

"Oh, right," Otabek set the paper down. "He was at the local shelter. Apparently he was to stay there until we'd gotten used to living here and caring for Koichi."

"Why didn't I know about that? I thought he was  _dead._ The mutt outlived Viktor, Beka! That dog is older than time itself, dammit." He shook his head. "Unbelievable." 

"He's just a dog, Yuri." Otabek told him, returning to the paper. "He isn't that high maintenance." 

"Ugh." He rolled his eyes. "It still would have been nice to know. I thought the damn dog was dead, and now he isn't. God. What a life." He sighed softly, struggling not to get emotional over the fact that the dog had outlived Viktor. 

"Well, he's alive and that's another responsibility on us," said Otabek, shrugging. "Now can I read the paper in peace or not?"

Yuri made a point to sigh as loudly as he could, shuffling into the kitchen with Makkachin following close at his heels. He was instantly reminded of why he was a cat person. Oh, cats, how he missed them. He hadn't had another kitten since Potya died, but the more he thought about it, the better the idea seemed. He was sure that Makkachin would not mind a feline friend in the house, given that Puma Tiger Scorpion in all of her crabby glory would curl up on top of him and take naps as she pleased when Yuri was away. He only trusted Yuuri with the cat, claiming that Lilia wanted to kill her and that Viktor was too damn reckless. The only other person he would trust with his precious girl was Otabek, who'd never really had much of a chance to get to know her before she passed away. He regretted it deeply, knowing that the two of them could have formed a bond like no other. Suddenly, an idea crept into his mind. 

"What's that, Makkachin?" He asked, crouching down and pressing the side of his head to the dog's fluffy face. "We should talk to Beka about getting a kitten? Why, what a wonderful idea!" Followed by the dog, he crept into the living room again, perching himself on the edge of the couch. 

"Otabek, we have to get a kitten." He stated firmly, keeping his expression set as something that resembled a scowl. "It's very important and it would make Makkachin so happy."

Otabek, looking as unamused as before, glanced up from the paper again, taking in the sight of both Yuri and the dog sitting perfectly balanced on the edge of the couch. He sighed, abandoning his reading because he'd already lost his place so many times that morning.

"Yuri, we have Makkachin and Koichi to look after. Wouldn't a cat just put more responsibility on us?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Uh, yeah, but Makkachin spoke to me. He told me that he knows that I miss Potya and that he wouldn't be mad if we got a kitty baby." Yuri sighed, and then switched the Plan B. "Please, Beka? I miss having a little kitty to hold, and pet, and love… Please?" 

"Okay, fine. We'll get a cat." He finally relented. "But you've got to take good care of it."

"I'm not a child, Otabek. I'll take care of the cat." Yuri rolled his eyes. "Besides, this isn't the first time I've had one." He smiled a bit, already thinking about holding a little kitten. Potya had been gone for four years, and Yuri really missed his beloved cat. 

"When do you plan to get this cat?" Otabek asked.

"Today," Yuri declared. "And I'm taking Koichi with me. He's wise, Beka, he'll know which kitten to adopt."

"I'll go with you, I suppose." He shrugged. "I've got nothing else to anyways."

"That's fine. But Koichi is helping me, Beka. You can't try and sway his choice, okay?" Then, he remembered the date, and that kiss. "So how did you sleep last night?" He's noticed that Otabek looked a little under the weather, but he assumed that the other man just wasn't sleeping right. 

"Fine," came Otabek's reply, accompanied by a sigh. Yuri decided that Otabek was most definitely exhausted, given that he usually didn't look like he'd been run over. 

"Did you look in a mirror this morning? Your hair is sticking up all weird, like some kind of superhero's."

"No, I didn't. Are you going to continue to insult my appearance or are we going to go get your cat?"

"Cat." Yuri huffed, pushing himself up and off of the couch. Makkachin lifted his head, and did the same. "Let's go find the best kitten." 

* * *

The best kitten turned out to be a little Russian Blue, according to Koichi. The moment the baby saw the cat, his eyes lit up as he pointed his chubby baby hands at her and babbled. Yuri assumed that meant he liked the kitty, so that was the cat they chose. She was new to the shelter, apparently, and one of the youngest babies there. Yuri fell in love with her sweet face instantly, and so did Koichi, who patted the cat's head gently once they'd finished signing the paperwork. She was soft and warm, curled up contentedly in Yuri's arms.  Koichi was watching the cat with interest, patting her every time she purred or made any soft noises. It was all too cute, Yuri could cry. 

When they brought the kitten home, Makkachin waited at the door for them, and sniffed at her.  He seemed okay with the new animal and went to nap. Koichi, being as little as he was, also needed a nap. Yuri sat with the kitten while Otabek took Koichi back to his room for a nap. The blond sighed softly, thinking about last night. He'd kissed Otabek. Twice. Sure, it was tame in comparison to their night of a few years ago, but still. He'd actually done that. As far as he could tell, he hadn't been drunk, and he knew right away that he needed to see how Otabek felt. He probably didn't feel anything, considering how he'd not said a word about it.

"Beka," he said once Otabek had come back out. "How do you feel?" 

"Tired," the other man answered. "Why?"

"Not what I meant." Yuri mumbled, already feeling a light blush creeping into his face. "I meant, like, how do you feel about last night?"

"Oh, well, I had a nice time with you."

"Are you really that oblivious?"

"Apparently so." Otabek shrugged. 

"Beka, do you like me?" Yuri asked, huffing. 

"Of course I like you." He answered. "You're my best friend." 

"That's not what I meant, Otabek!" He sighed in frustration. "Do you like me? You didn't react when I kissed you and we've been ignoring that night for three years now! I know you said it meant something to you last night, but you're still ignoring this. We need to figure this out." 

"Oh," is all Otabek could say. "Well, yes, I suppose I do like you, Yuri. But it's not wise of us to get into a relationship. For Koichi's sake. If we break up, things will be weird and terrible."

"We have to at least  _try_ it, right? We can't say anything h tim we've tried, Beka. I know you're so opposed to this, but I'm not. Also, if we're sort of together you'll get to sleep in the bed with me instead of on the couch. I know how much it pains you."

"Yura, the bed has nothing to do with this."

 "Whatever." He snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm confessing my love for you and you don't even care."

"I do care." Otabek said gently, resisting the urge to sigh. "But I just don't think we should do this yet, Yura." 

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"All I'm saying is that we should give it a little more time before getting together. A few more months… or years." 

Years? Yuri felt crushed. Otabek was just trying to let him down easy. He rolled his eyes finally, turning away from Otabek. 

"Whatever. You don't like me. It's fine, Beka, just say that you'd rather be friends and not lovers. It won't hurt me." He shrugged. 

"But it will, and it's not true." Otabek shook his head. "I do like you, Yura. If it makes you happy, I'm willing to test it out. But you have to promise me that things won't get weird between us if it doesn't work out."

"Fine," said Yuri, picking the kitten up and stroking her soft fur. "We'll test it out. I hope that means you'll share the bed with me because first of all, it's lonely sleeping in such a big bed, and secondly, you're going to die if you keep sleeping on that couch." 

"Would it make you happy?" He asked. 

"Yeah." He nodded. "It would make me very happy because that way, I'd know that you aren't hurting or whatever."

"Okay, okay. Fine." Otabek said, relenting quicker than Yuri had thought he would. 

"Don't be scared if I end up cuddling you while I'm sleeping." Yuri told him. "I tend to cling. You've been warned."

So maybe they weren't technically together yet, but Yuri had hope. Otabek wanted to take things slow. He could do slow, though he was now notorious for doing things fast and without thinking. A trait he'd developed after observing Viktor closely for the last ten years. But so what? He was happy just knowing that Otabek liked him and was willing to be with him even if they weren't officially boyfriends. They'd make the best of it, and they would mess anything up for Koichi, either. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Michael Mell Voice* Makkachin makes an entrance!!  
> So I got a comment asking about Viktor's beloved dog, so I had to put him in it. Let's be real here; that dog is ANCIENT by now but he's still around. Yuri is bitter af because now there's a baby AND a dog (and Yura's precious baby cat) that are dying for Otabek's undivided attention. But don't worry, he'll get some lovin' eventually. Speaking of, they had their feelings talk. Yay! But yeah, this was a bit of a filler chapter, but I can tell you that my co-author and I are working on some plot twists as of now. Oh, and if you couldn't tell, Otabek is starting to embrace his Dadness. He's gonna be one of those Dream Daddies.


	6. accidents happen.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a few accidents happen and some friends come to visit at the worst possible time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay,,,, it's time for some angst. First of all my co-author and a few friends were saying that angst is the good way to go, and fillers are boring. I'm going to treat this delicately because I really don't know what usually happens, so I'll go about this carefully and do some research. All I can say now is that no character is going to die.  
> Oh, and a few friends may show up, too. For moral support.

Otabek's day had started out relatively normal. It had been two weeks since he and Yuri had agreed to take it slow, and every morning he left for work after receiving a kiss on the cheek. He had to admit that this daily ritual made him feel a bit flustered, but at least Yuri didn't make a habit of wearing lipstick when he did it. He quite liked going to work happy, especially since he was usually half asleep when he did. He appreciated Yuri's affection, even more, knowing that Yuri liked his beauty sleep and wouldn't be up that early if it wasn't for him or Koichi.

Ah, Koichi. The bane of his existence disguised as Viktor and Yuuri's adorable bundle of joy. He'd never expected them to name him as one of the baby's godparents or guardians, but there he was taking care of that baby, three months after their deaths. It had been the worst day of his life, that day the funeral took place. Seeing their families crying together, the blissful unawareness of Koichi, and Yuri's silent tears that he thought Otabek never noticed. He wished he could take Yuri's sadness away so that the blond could be happy, but he knew he couldn't. He knew that when Koichi got older, there would be questions. Questions that he and Yuri didn't even want to think about now. And on top of that, they were flying blind with this. Neither of them knew how to properly raise a child. But, they were learning on their way. Otabek admired Yuri, in all honesty. He's come such a long way since he'd been fifteen, growing out of the boy with excess anger and into a man who knew how to handle his emotions properly. As for Otabek, he considered himself to be the same as he was when he was eighteen. A little stronger emotion wise, maybe, but still the same.

Their date had been nice. At first, he'd thought it was just a casual, two friends hanging out sort of thing, but after Yuri had kissed him, he knew it had been more than friends hanging out. He hadn't even had time to react before Yuri had practically run out of the room. They'd talked about their feelings the day after that, but Otabek just couldn't stop thinking about it. Had Yuri liked him this whole time? Maybe the blond had liked him since they'd become friends… he couldn't tell. He remembered when Yuri was 17 and his grandfather had just passed away. Otabek had stayed in St. Petersburg for three weeks with Yuri, just to make sure he'd be okay alone. He remembered how small Yuri seemed, all sad and perpetually teary-eyed. Otabek had been his rock, someone to keep him from doing something stupid. On top of that, he remembered what Yuri had asked him to do. 

_"Please don't ever leave me, Beka." Yuri had pleaded, still sobbing. Otabek felt so bad for him, he didn't deserve the pain he had. It had been one of the only things Yuri had said to him during those three weeks_

_"I won't, Yura. I promise." He'd told him, knowing that they would have part ways temporarily, but not forever._

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. The work day had proved to be slow today, and he found this to be incredibly boring. He had nothing to do at the moment, but thankfully it was almost the end of his shift. He'd get to go home, relax and talk to Yuri. He felt quite silly, missing his companion so badly when he hadn't even been gone that long. Yuri would laugh if he told him. Yuri had such a nice laugh, really, and a wonderful smile to go along with it. He hadn't seen it in a while, not since Yuri had won the GPF again at age 18, and that had been years ago. It warmed his heart to know that he'd been the one to bring it out again. 

The last time Yuri had smiled for him had been shortly after he'd beaten Yuuri and Viktor for the gold medal. He'd beaten Otabek as well, but the Kazakh man had figured that he could win the year after that, as Viktor was retiring to focus on coaching Yuuri instead of skating. He'd been drunk, too, and so had Otabek. Thinking back, he really wondered why he'd been drinking. He never did that. But then, Yuri had begged him to at least give it a try, and he did. Just hours later they were together again, away from everyone else. They were both completely drunk, both lacking any control at all. At last, with their feelings bared, they expressed how they felt.

If anything, Otabek regretted it all. He felt as though he had toyed with Yuri's feelings, what with the blond being so vulnerable to him. He recalled how Yuri had stuck to him during the banquet, and how he'd woken to find Yuri sleeping next to him, unable to remember what they'd done. After that, they parted ways, not speaking for another three years. Shortly after they'd begun speaking again, tragedy struck and they were forced to meet again. When he first saw Yuri when they'd gone to get Koichi, he knew that Yuri had been crying. He wouldn't say anything, though, for he knew how the blond was. He'd refused to admit to anyone that he had spent days sobbing in his room after the death of his grandfather. They spoke softly, but not often. Not until after Viktor and Yuuri's funeral did they really connect again. And for that, Otabek was glad. He was glad that Yuri had let him in again. 

Sighing, he figured that he might as well head back now. The day had been slow, so he figured he was free to go. The drive home was agonizing; all he wanted was to be home with Yuri and Koichi and Makkachin and the still unnamed kitten. Otabek figured that if Yuri didn't name her soon, he would. He sighed again and yawned, realizing how tired he was. Boring days always made him sleepy. Maybe he would go to bed early tonight, as that seemed to be a good idea. He finally made it home, which, now that he thought about, was not  _really_ his home, but it had become his home. The person he loved was there, plus a few welcome, permanent visitors. Looking around, he noticed an unfamiliar car in the driveway. Maybe Yuri had guests. He fumbled for his keys, accidentally trying to unlock the house with the mail key. He opened the door, pulling the key out of the lock as he stepped inside. Immediately, Makkachin barreled into him, almost knocking him over. 

"Oh," said Otabek, trying to keep the dog from slobbering all over his face. "Hello to you too." The dog wagged his tail, waiting for Otabek to stand up. When he did, he squinted. 

"Oh, hi Otabek! Hope you don't mind, we let ourselves in." Phichit chirped, waving. As usual, he held his phone and was scrolling through the feed of whatever social media site. Sitting next to him, surprisingly, was Christophe Giacometti. 

"Otabek!" He beamed, getting up and patting Otabek's shoulders. "You've gotten so tall!" The way he said it reminded Otabek of a deranged aunt that you only saw once every five years at some whacked up family reunion. 

"I suppose," he replied, shrugging. "Is Yuri out, or…?" 

"Probably," said Phichit. "He said he had stuff to do. Oh, and he said that Koichi will probably be waking up soon."

He nodded, figuring that he should probably go and check on the baby to avoid a tantrum. The small child was already awake and Otabek figured he'd just barely avoided another meltdown. He brought Koichi out to the living room. 

"Any, uh… specific reason you guys decided to visit?" He asked. Chris and Phichit just grinned. 

"Well, Yuri was going on about how Koichi should meet more of his family. So we came! Surprise!" Phichit squealed, reaching for Koichi. The baby babbled, making grabby hands at the Thai skater. As Otabek passed the baby to him, his phone rang. 

"Oh, hold on, I should take this. It's probably Yuri," He said, stepping into the kitchen to take the call, hoping it would be Yuri. "Hello?"

" _Hi, this is Otabek Altin?_ " The voice speaking was very Russian, but unfamiliar. The didn't wait for Ptabek to respond. " _I'm calling because you were on Yuri Plisetsky's emergency contact list. He's been admitted to the St. Petersburg General Hospital. There was a crash, and while the chances are good for his survival, he's currently in a coma. We just wanted to let you know. Take care._ " And the line went dead. Otabek stood there for a moment, in shock. Yuri had been on an accident. He was in a coma. He couldn't believe it. 

"Yuri's been in accident." He told Chris and Phichit. "Car crash, I think. Apparently he's in a coma." He sighed, sitting down again. 

"What? Oh my god!" Phichit gasped. "Are you gonna go see how he's doing?"

"Yes, but I can't leave Koichi. Or Makkachin and… Phantom." Well, at least the cat had a name now. 

"Don't worry, Otababe," said Chris, "we'll look after them while you're gone. You'll be back soon, yes?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I probably won't even be able to stay long anyways." 

"Well, go now, before visiting hours are done."

So he left to go to the hospital, hoping with all he had that Yuri would pull through and survive. For him, and for Koichi. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's late!! I meant to write more during my 3 day weekend, but I ended up binging BNHA instead, oops. (I'll probably write some little drabble for that eventually). Ah, and I probably won't go into much detail of what Otabek's job is and what he does because… I haven't figured that out yet! Yay! If you'd like to help me out, comment something you'd think Otabek would do for a living after ice skating (and we can go with him being a DJ, because it's stated that that's his hobby, so i'll keep it as a hobby.) Anyways, that's all for this week. Stay tuned for next week's chapter, I suppose.  
> Otabek may be a little upset for a while, but at least Phichit and Chris will be there to help.  
> I'm evil, I know. It's a gift.


	7. should've told you sooner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Otabek deals with his feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, chapter seven, here we go! So we left off on a bit of a cliffhanger (?) and I'm going to fix that, and on top of that, I'm also here to reassure you that Yuri is… mostly okay. He won't die because, frankly, I can't cause any harm to him or Otabek because they're my favorites, and Koichi needs them, too. Chris and Phichit will play bigger roles for the story in these next few chapters, so I hope y'all like them enough.

lDuring the drive to the hospital, Otabek tried his best to collect his thoughts, but he had a million things racing through his mind. Was Yuri okay? Was he going to die? What had happened? Was it a drunk driving accident? No, stop, don't think about that. He should be focusing on not getting in an accident himself. He sighed, blocking off those thoughts the best that he could. He couldn't shake the bad feeling, though. He and Yuri had been living happily, which of course had to ruined by something. It would be awful if Yuri didn't make it, dying the same way Viktor and Yuuri had, only much slower. Poor Koichi would be down to one guardian and Otabek didn't think he could handle the responsibility of a child on his own. Yuri was the glue keeping their strange little family together, being the most level headed of the two, surprisingly. Yuri had matured very well, growing out of his anger and his knack of masking emotions. Otabek admired him.

He needed Yuri to live. He needed him so badly it felt like a physical ache. He wanted to hold Yuri in his arms and protect him from everything, though the blond could protect himself just fine. He figured that maybe, if he could at least try, maybe Yuri wouldn't be the one in bad situations all the time. Otabek felt so guilty, thinking about all of the ways life had wronged Yuri Plisetsky. He knew that Yuri's parents hadn't been around when he was kid, leaving him to be raised by his grandfather. When Yuri was seventeen, his grandfather had passed away and Otabek knew that it was one of the worst things to happen in Yuri's life. He's been there, at the funeral, and stayed with the blond longer just to make sure he would be okay. Otabek could never forget how Yuri had taken to clinging to him, even though he said nothing to him. He'd just let him cry, holding him like he thought Yuri needed to be held. He had never seen Yuri cry so much before and if he was being honest, it had scared him to see the fierce Ice Tiger of Russia crying like that. He had hoped Yuri would open up to him, but he didn't. During Otabek's stay that year, he merely clung to him and cried, and Otabek couldn't blame him. After he left, they talked over texts and skype and Snapchat, until the next banquet and the risqué things they did. And then, it was radio silence on Yuri's end, leaving Otabek confused about how Yuri may have felt. He figured that Yuri just wanted some time to think, so he let him be. Yuri's Instagram kept him updated, and they talked a bit during competitions when they had time, but Otabek noticed that Yuri seemed withdrawn and preoccupied. That, or he didn't want to talk to Otabek and the Kazakh man just left him alone for good measure.

Then, not even three months ago, they were brought back together once more for another tragedy. Viktor and Yuuri had been so happy with their son and their lives together, but nothing gold can ever stay. Otabek was hesitant about raising a baby with only Yuri to help, but he'd do it for them, to give their son a chance to grow up well. He knew it would be hard, especially with trying to get Yuri to open up to him again. If anything, caring for Koichi was the easy task. But, they'd made progress. They'd talked it out. They knew how they felt, but Otabek wasn't ready to just rush into a relationship like Yuri seemed to be. He wanted to take it slow, unlike that one night. Thankfully, Yuri had agreed that they should take it slow, so they did. Otabek was perfectly happy with the way they were going.

He snapped out of his thoughts as soon as he parked the car, sighing as he undid his seat belt. He sat there for a few minutes, wondering and thinking about so many things. Finally, he got out and went in. The waiting room smelled like a hospital alright, which Otabek didn't like. He must have looked uncomfortable. He felt uncomfortable, really. He hated hospitals, but he was here for Yuri.

"Can I help you?" The lady at the front desk asked in heavily accented English. 

"Uh… yes," Otabek replied nervously, knowing fully well that his English was less than stellar. "What room is Yuri Plisetsky in?"

"327, but only family can visit right now. Are you family?" She asked, seemingly implying that she knew Otabek wasn't immediate family. 

"Yes," he said, lying through his teeth, "I'm his husband."

"Oh! Well then, I suppose you could go, but not for long, dear. Visiting hours are ending soon." 

He nodded, walking down the hall until he found room 327. As expected, Yuri wasn't awake. He looked so small and pale, just laying there like that. Otabek took a seat next to the bed, holding one of Yuri's cold hands. He seemed to be breathing, but he was so cold.  _I guess they call him the Ice Tiger of Russia for a reason_ , he thought. He gave Yuri's hand a squeeze, hoping that maybe, just maybe, the blond would wake up. He didn't. He looked peaceful, as if he was just sleeping. 

"Yuri," he said, speaking softly, "please wake up as soon as you can. Koichi already misses you. I'll bring him with me soon. Phichit and Chris are watching him right now. I came as soon as I got the call, Yura." He sighed, going quiet again. Looking at the clock, he realized that he didn't have a lot of time left until visiting hours were over. 

"I love you," he whispered, "and I should've told you sooner. But you won't die and I'll tell you again when you wake up." He let go of Yuri's hand, leaning over to kiss his cheek before getting up from his chair. 

"I'll be here when you wake up, I promise." And with that, he left. He felt shaky, like something was wrong with him. He felt oddly nervous. He probably should have talked to a doctor to see what was going on with Yuri, but he left before he could. He could hardly focus on the drive home. All he could think about was Yuri. Could Yuri hear him? Did he know what Otabek had said? He sighed, gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. 

"So how did your visit go?" Phichit asked the moment Otabek stepped inside. He was sitting on the couch, holding Koichi all the while scrolling through his phone. Otabek had no doubt that there were many pictures and selfies featuring Koichi on the Thai skater's Instagram. 

"Fine," he replied, shrugging. "I talked to him, he didn't answer. That's how it will be for a while now."

"Otabek," Phichit made a sad face. "That's sad. Did you talk about anything important to him?? Maybe if you talked about cats, he'd wake up! Or Koichi! Or-" He cut himself off, his brown eyes suddenly gleaming mischievously. 

"Or maybe," he started slowly, "if you told him how much you  _loved_ him, he would wake up!"

Otabek, much to Phichit's surprise, just laughed. 

"That wouldn't work, because I told him already. He'll wake up in time, Phichit. We just have to be patient." He replied. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, let's see, what else do I have that I could say? Hm… Well, I can say that I have already planned out an epilogue, set in both Yuri's and Otabek's points of view ( don't ask me how that's gonna work, it just will, trust me! ;) I'll figure it out. ) Once Yuri wakes up, we might just get a love confession, but I can't promise anything yet. And I do realize that Otabek thinks about the same stuff all the time, and that's just because either I'm unoriginal or he just likes thinking about all things Yuri all the time. Anyways, thank you so much for reading this far, it really means a lot to know you guys like it. I've read all your comments and have enjoyed talking to a few of you that do comment! Perhaps y'all could comment some ideas for the next chapter involving Chris and Phichit? And, should Yuri wake up in the next chapter, or the chapter after that?


	8. hectic days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Otabek's life becomes a blur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I've been trying to write as much as I can lately because I have so many ideas and so little time. So if it's bad, that's why.  
> Also, I had to work in some flashbacks too. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about. THAT OUTFIT. I couldn't just leave that out of a flashback.

Following Yuri's accident, Otabek's days became hectic and passed in a blur. He'd get up in the morning, go to work, go back home to get Koichi, and then go to visit Yuri. He still hadn't woken up and while it was to be expected, Otabek couldn't help but feel sad. He just wanted Yuri to wake up again, to see his smile and his pretty green eyes. He knew he had to be patient, but it was slowly getting to him. Koichi always fell asleep during the visit, and thankfully slept until they'd returned home again. Otabek, on the other hand, barely slept at all. He was too worried, but there wasn't anything he could do about Yuri's situation, other than going about his days and providing for Koichi like Viktor and Yuuri wanted.

He hated leaving the baby with Phichit and Chris all day, though. Work seemed to just drag on and on and on. The days seemed to become longer without Yuri and Otabek would find himself even more tired each day. He would be exhausted and yet sleep would come only to leave as soon as one more dream of Yuri came to end. When he would wake, he couldn't fall asleep again. He couldn't stop thinking about Yuri, about  _them_ , as a couple. He wished he'd told Yuri that he  _loved him_ sooner, so that the blond would, at the very least, know how he felt. All he wanted was to hold Yuri and know that he was alright. 

"Otabek." Phichit's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, pulling him away from thoughts of his beloved Yuri. He sighed, rubbing his eyes and focusing back on the present. 

"Yeah?" God, he sounded awful, like he'd failed to sleep for a week, which was partly true. He figured that Phichit was going to bring that up, though he didn't really seem the type to meddle in personal issues such as this. 

"Well, Chris and I have been talking and we think that you should take a day off. Or two, or maybe three- but my point is, you look half dead. You need to give yourself a break."

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you, Phichit," Otabek answered, and wow did he sound icy. 

"Is perfectly fine looking half dead and not sleeping through the night?" The Thai skater asked, matching Otabek's icy tone. 

"Absolutely. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

"I don't think so, Otabek. Would Yuri want you working yourself into exhaustion?"

As soon as the words were said, Otabek knew he'd lost this battle. Yuri  _wouldn't_ like him overworking himself, though it was a common thing to happen to himself. There had been countless times when Otabek had been the one talking Yuri down from going to practice for the second time in one day. Suddenly, Otabek remembers fifteen-year-old Yuri attempting to physically fight him when he'd come all the way from Almaty to visit. His punches were weak, not even hitting their target. Otabek used Yuri's sudden weakness against him, saying that he needed to rest. Of course, the teen had been adamant to go on his way but Otabek wouldn't let him. And so it had ended with Otabek blocking the door and Yuri attempting to fight him to get him out of the way. He knew he couldn't beat Otabek in a fight anyways, as his Kazakh friend was much stronger. He glared at Otabek for days, but then he'd found his own way to get revenge. 

_"Beka, what's this?" Yuri was grinning his evil, cat-like grin. He was carefully holding something Otabek thought he had either thrown away or burned. It was most HIDEOUS costume he'd ever thought up, and he regretted ever suggesting to Yuri that they go through his old costumes._

_"It's just an old costume," he'd muttered, shrugging. "I was, ah, supposed to wear it for the last Grand Prix Final."_

_"What, seriously?!" The blond stared at him for a while before bursting into a bout of laughter. "Otabek, oh my god!"_

_And then he'd demanded that Otabek put it on, claiming that it would still fit if it was meant for that last GPF. With a glare that could probably kill normal people, Otabek had put the damn thing on and allowed Yuri to laugh at him._

He sighed, returning to the present time. Still, thinking about that god awful costume, he realized that maybe it was good that he'd kept it. It made Yuri laugh. 

He was just drifting off when he heard a knock. Opening his eyes, he sat up to find Phichit standing there, holding the landline that Viktor and Yuuri had insisted on having. 

"Otabek," he said slowly, waving the phone. "The hospital called."

"And?" He asked, somewhat annoyed that he'd almost been asleep. 

"Yuri's awake, Otabek. He woke up!" Phichit seemed excited, but as soon as Otabek got up, he blocked the doorway. "No, you can't go now. Visiting hours are over, and besides, they have to make sure he's ready to come home. You can go tomorrow, after you've gotten a decent amount of sleep."

"Fine," he sighed, allowing himself to relax again. "I'll go tomorrow."

"Good. You haven't been sleeping and we know it." He said, and then left Otabek alone  

Phichit was right, he hadn't been sleeping well, but with Yuri awake he wouldn't be so worried. He'd get to see Yuri and his pretty smile soon. The thought of that alone was enough to get him to fall asleep quickly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel,, so bad,, for my Beka bear but he has to suffer without his beloved Yura for a little longer. He has,, to wake up more and y'know,, be released from the hospital.  
> otabek just,, wants to hold Yuri okay  
> Also screw your terrible fashion sense, Otabek. Gold crushed velvet?? Honey NO.


	9. recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri has woken up but he's still got to recover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update. Also, I’ve changed my username from otabekaltin to TodorokiLiteratureClub. otabekaltin is now a pseud that will eventually be the 'author' of all my YOI fics

Otabek didn't sleep well after Phichit had told him to. He couldn't just sleep when Yuri was awake, he had to go to him  _now_. He wanted to talk to him, to see him, so badly. He'd tossed and turned all night, trying to get comfortable and sleep, but it wouldn't come. Around two in the morning, he thought he might fall asleep but Koichi had other plans. Just as Otabek had finally started to feel tired and close his eyes to sleep, the baby started to cry as  _loud as possible._ As tired as he was, he got up anyways. He felt bad for Phichit and Chris, too, since they had to attempt to get back to sleep after that. They didn’t, however, have to get a crying child to calm down and go back to sleep. Otabek’s best guess was that Koichi missed Yuri, just like he did. He sighed, picking up the baby and talking to him quietly to get him to fall asleep again. It didn’t take long, considering that they were both exhausted as it was. 

Six in the morning rolled around and Otabek got up as soon as his alarm went off. Phichit and Chris were still asleep, thankfully. Otabek knew that if they were up, Phichot would be lecturing him about the importance of getting sleep or whatever, but Otabek just couldn’t care about getting the right amount of sleep. All he wanted was to see Yuri and bring him home. He figured that the tension would lessen in the house, maybe Koichi wouldn’t cry as much. The baby was, of course, still sleeping, which meant they had to wait a little longer. 

When Koichi finally woke himself up, it was almost eight. Surprisingly, their guests were still fast asleep, which made it easier for Otabek and Koichi to get out of the house unnoticed. The baby didn’t like his car seat, but he didn’t have much of a choice, seeing as he wasn’t big enough to sit in one of the seats. The drive to the hospital seemed longer than usual, probably because Otabek wanted to get there as soon as he could. He couldn’t help but feel anxious about it all, which he thought wasn’t right. Why should he feel anxious when Yuri was the one who’d just woken up from a coma? He hoped Yuri was doing okay, considering all he’d been through. Three weeks was a long time to be unconscious. He’d definitely have to recover for a while, meaning Otabek might have to do everything but he was fine with that if it meant Yuri was back in their lives. Would Yuri have forgotten anything? Would he remember? 

“…Hey, quit staring.” A hoarse voice snapped Otabek out of his thoughts, bringing him back to reality. Yuri, though he seemed to have just woken up, was glaring up at him. 

“Sorry,” he answered quietly, shaking his head slightly. He’d been stuck in his own mind longer than he’d thought. “I was just thinking.”

”Oh, that’s dangerous.” Yuri replied sarcastically, smiling just a bit. “Don’t think too hard, Otabek. You’ll hurt your brain.” 

“I won’t.” He rolled his eyes, allowing his normal half smile to show. “Have they said when you’ll be released?”

”Yeah. Soon, I guess. Later today or tomorrow. I can’t wait, I just wanna take a nap in my own— uh, Viktor and Yuuri’s bed.” 

“Hopefully it’ll be later today,” Otabek replied, carefully avoiding the conversation changing to the topic of Viktor and Yuuri. 

“Beka,” Yuri reached over suddenly, grabbing Otabek’s wrist. “I could’ve died the same way they did.” 

“But you didn’t,” he pointed out. “You’re pretty alive right now. Don’t think about what could’ve happened.”

Yuri sighed, but didn’t say anything else. They sat in silence for a while, until the doctor finally came in to check if Yuri would be ready to leave or not. He wasn’t, not for at least another few days. 

“There are things to be done before we can just release him, you see.” The nurse took it upon herself to explain exactly why Yuri couldn’t go home yet. “We have to make sure he can walk and that his brain is functioning properly. It should only take a few days if everything is fine.”

The days passed slowly, agonizingly slowly. Yuri wanted out of the hospital. He hated the smell, and not to mention the people. Constantly peppy nurses, doctors who acted as if they’d saved his life— which, maybe they had, but he wouldn’t have just let himself die. When he was finally released, he didn’t breathe out his sigh of relief until they were really out of that hospital. 

“Finally.” He said, sighing again. “I hated it there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been so busy, rip. I've also started losing motivation for this. This was so hard to write. It’s been too long since I’ve written anything, which school is to blame for. I’ve just been way too busy! But I finally have some minimal free time so I’m gonna finish this baby and be done with it.  
> Should I just end it with a cute epilogue and be done with it? If not, actually comment some idea because I literally have NONE. I'm stumped here, guys. Otabek and Yuri have done their time and gone through their stuff, so what else can be done?

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't kill me. I swear it only gets happier from here. 
> 
> Also some background for how my friend and I have done this.  
> So it's years after the actual anime, as Viktor and Yuuri were married and had a kid-  
> Otabek and Yuri are 25 and 22, respectively, so that's about seven years after canon. So !! They're mature adults and need to talk about that o n e night they spent together ( in a sexy way ;0 ) so. Yeah. But I won't actually put any details of that because actually going into detail with smut is very uncomfortable for me.
> 
> by all means, please leave a comment and stuff. i'd love to talk to y'all and know why you thought.


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